Author
How did Bev wasn’t so scared of Mr. Calhoun?
When Mr. Calhoun came to pick up Bev from the dentist’s office, he took her coat and helped her put it on. Then he proceeded to put his hand on her shoulder as if to comfort her. This act of kindness made her not fear him anymore.
What is the significance of the St. Joseph’s Mission in They Called Me Number One?
The St. Joseph’s Mission was the residential school where the author, Bev Sellars, and many other Indigenous children were sent. It became a place of trauma, loss of culture, and abuse. Instead of providing care or education, it caused deep emotional and cultural harm that affected generations.
How did Xp’e7e died?
Xp’e7e died from a heart attack. After collapsing while riding home from picking berries with Gram, the family tried to get help, but the ambulance took five hours to arrive, even though it should have only taken about twenty minutes. Unfortunately, by the time help arrived, it was too late.
How did Bev Sellars feel after she returned home from the residential school, and what challenges did she face in her daily life?
Bev felt lost, angry, and disconnected. She had trouble trusting people and struggled with her sense of identity. The trauma she experienced made it hard for her to feel confident or safe, even when she was back with her family.
How many years did Bev Sellars’ brother Morris spend at the St. Joseph’s Mission, and why did he end up staying longer than most children?
Morris spent ten years at the St. Joseph’s Mission, which was longer than most children. He stayed longer because, after getting into trouble with the law, he was given a choice between going to jail or returning to the Mission—and he chose the Mission, not realizing how much worse it had been compared to jail.
Why did Bev got so angry when one of the 3 white boys who were hitchhiking gave her the finger for not stoping to pick them up ?
Bev got so angry when one of the three White boys gave her the finger because that small, disrespectful gesture triggered deep-seated feelings of anger and resentment she held towards White people. It wasn’t just about the boys themselves but about the painful history and experiences she and her people endured due to racist policies imposed by the Department of Indian Affairs and the injustices faced by Indigenous communities. The gesture reminded her of the systemic discrimination, inequality, and negative social conditions caused by White ancestors, making all those feelings resurface at once.
What role did the author’s grandparents’ house play in her life?
Her grandparents’ house was a place of love, warmth, and cultural connection. It gave her a sense of belonging and emotional support, especially after the cold, harsh environment of the residential school. It helped her reconnect with her identity and family roots.
Give attitudes and circumstances that the authorities of residential school did not that in-humanize the aboriginals kids.
What kinds of treatment did Indigenous children face at residential schools like St. Joseph’s Mission, according to Bev Sellars’ story?
Children were punished for speaking their language, forced to follow Christian rules, and treated with cruel discipline. Many were emotionally, physically, and sometimes sexually abused. They were made to feel ashamed of their culture and separated from their families for long periods of time.
Who is Steven Point, and what is significant about his role mentioned in Chapter 14?
Fraser Valley and served as the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. His appointment was significant because it showed progress for Indigenous representation in high political roles. The author saw his position as a sign of change and hope for better relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada.
How is Bev learning how to drive connected with the people around her being alcoholic?
Bev learned how to drive going to the bootlegger, a place where Lawrence and his friends wanted to go every time the ran out of booze. Since Lawrence didn’t like to drive when he drank, he asked Bev to drive them, and by time she learned how to.
What was the atmosphere like at the Mission school?
The Mission school was strict, fearful, and emotionally damaging. Children were punished often and treated without kindness. It felt more like a prison than a school, with little care for learning or well-being, and focused on controlling and erasing Indigenous identity.
Name some horrific actions that kids suffered that shows how the people at the Mission didn’t have any sympathy with the kids.
What were some important steps Bev Sellars took in her life to begin healing from the trauma she experienced at the residential school?
Bev found strength through reconnecting with her culture and community, becoming a mother, and helping others by speaking out. She also became a community leader and used her voice to raise awareness about the harms of the residential school system.
What was something that completely changed Bev point of view of her family, community and herself? Describe how it affected her.
Something that completely changed Bev life was self-help books. Her first encounter a book called Discovering the “ Power of positive thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale. She started to understand herself and the actions of her family.
How is Bev being emotionally and socially crippled in her ability to deal with the world related to the way the schools used to get pay?
The schools received a per-capita grant from the government for every kid they had at the school, so they were not there to make sure everyone’s rights were honoured, to respect the kids or to teach positive social skills. They were simply there to herd the kids around. So they didn’t care about their well being, the kids were just treated with violence and abuse which made Bev and many other kids emotionally and socially crippled in their ability to deal with the world.
How did public schools represent change for the next generation?
Public schools were a sign of hope and progress. Unlike residential schools, they allowed children to live at home with their families and learn in a safer, more respectful environment. It marked a shift toward healing and rebuilding community connections.
What was one of the consequences that the violence at the Mission caused on Aboriginal culture?
Many of them didn’t want to talk on their native language after the years at the Mission, since they were thought to be ashamed and would get the strap if they did. That’s why Gram and many other parents didn’t teach their young relatives to speak their native language so they spare them the agony of being punished with the strap, causing an erase on their culture.
What is the main message that Bev Sellars wants to share with readers through her story in They Called Me Number One?
The book teaches us about the lasting damage residential schools caused Indigenous people, but it also shows the strength and courage of survivors. Bev’s message is about truth, healing, and the need for justice so future generations can live with pride and respect for their culture.
Why there was so many sexual abuse on the Mission?
There was a lot of sexual abuse at the Mission because the kids were very vulnerable, they didn’t have anyone to search protection or anyone to tell what happened, since the nuns didn’t care and their own Principal was sexually assaulting number of girls. This lack of protection and a big vulnerability of the children’s have the opportunity for those who had bad intentions.
Name the feeling that we can abstract of Bev by the way she finished this chapter and say what’s special about it.
Bev Sellars finished this chapter with anger talking about the derogatory remarks about Indians in western movies, how racist and humiliating it was. What’s special about this is that the name of the chapter is called “ A few good memories” which is ironic comparing the way she finished it. It just shows the rage she has from this time of her life.
What does the author say about jails compared to residential schools?
The author explains that her brother—and others—found jail to be less harsh than residential schools. This shows how terrible the schools were, as they caused so much pain that even prison seemed like a better, more bearable place to be.
What’s something Aboriginal kids learned at the Mission that helped the racism in the justice system?
Aboriginal kids were taught to take their punishment even if they were innocent, to not to complain, that no one cared whether they were innocent or guilty, that they had no rights and that trying to reveal the truth only made things worse. These lessons just increase the racism to get stronger on the justice system and help more the White authority, since nobody wanted to do anything with Aboriginal people getting beat up by RCMP or serving time in jail even if you were innocent.
Why is the book titled They Called Me Number One*, and what does the title say about Bev Sellars’ experience at the residential school?*
The title reflects how children at the residential school were given numbers instead of being called by their names. Bev was called “Number One,” which made her feel dehumanized and invisible. The title shows how the system tried to erase the children’s identity and make them feel like they didn’t matter.
What major event in 1993 gave Bev Sellars hope for justice, and why was it important to her?
In 1993, a justice inquiry was launched in the Cariboo-Chilcotin region. Bev Sellars saw this as an important opportunity to bring attention to the mistreatment of Indigenous people in the legal system. Despite others doubting that real change would come, she believed it could lead to truth and justice for her community.